Daryl's Girl

Chapter 25

There was nothing left to say that would stop what was happening so I defeatedly moved away from Daryl, slowly making my way over to Hershal with no one noticing. Their eyes were all firmly glued to Shane. There was no way he hadn't stepped over the line this time and anyone who condoned any of this behaviour were deluding themselves. As if killing Otis wasn't enough.

Being powerless to do anything, I gently put my hand on Hershal's shoulder and my other arm around Maggie, who had started to quietly cry. I couldn't blame her. Going through all of this, not knowing if there's a cure out there somewhere, only for someone to come and murder your family. It was a hard pill to swallow for anyone. It was for me when it happened to my family.

That's when Hershal's offer crossed my mind, and after torturing myself over what I was going to do all day, I realized Shane had made my decision for me. There was no way after this I wanted anything to do with or wanted Shane anywhere near me, not that I didn't already. He was dangerous and sooner or later he was going to get someone else killed. I didn't want to be around when that happens. His actions only cementing my decision the further he pushed.

Confident, I bent down so that I was level with Hershal's ear. "I'm gonna stay." He didn't react and I don't think he acknowledged at all what I'd said as, like everyone else, his eyes were glued to Shane beating on the barn doors.

"Hershal! Hershal! Hershal take the snare!" Rick yelled, but Hershal didn't move. "Listen to me man, please! Take it now!" Still nothing. "Hershal!"

As Rick yelled, just like Hershal, nobody moved. We just watched as Shane then picked up a pick axe and started swinging it at the lock. We could all clearly see it starting to come off, but there was nothing any of us could do to stop it. I'd already tried only to have him pull his gun on me.

That was when I heard Lori screaming Rick's name behind me. Only Rick didn't take any notice as he continued yelling at both Shane and Hershal. Still struggling with the walker.

"Shane, don't do this brother! Please! Hershal, take it now!" The atmosphere now filled with chaos.

All of a sudden, there was a loud crack and Lori shoved Carl behind her as Shane used the pick axe to finally rip the lock from the doors. "Shane! Don't do it!" Glenn then yelled, but it was too late. Shane took the plank of wood between the doors and threw it to the side throwing the axe besides it.

The doors began shaking and I could hear the moans coming from inside as Shane continued yelling, beating and kicking the wood. "Come on! Come on! We're out here!" He then began walking backwards pulling the gun from his belt once again and reloaded it before stopping a fair distance away, facing the barn. Rick still shouting for him to stop and for Hershal to take the walker from him. Still, no one moved.

In that moment, Hershal began to sob as Shane raised his gun at the doors. Almost immediately after, the walkers, Hershal's family and friends, the ones he'd told me about, began stumbling out of the barn and hobbling towards us.

Shane took the first shot and Andrea ran up besides him. She was closely followed by Tdog, who stood on the other side of Shane. The three of them firing rounds as more and more of the dead made their way outside. Then Daryl began firing.

"This is not the way! Please!"

One by one they came stumbling and growling out of the doors. It was just like a scene in one of those in horror movies. Only this time it was real and happening right in front of our eyes. "Hershal!" Rick screamed again. Once again, Hershal didn't move. Fixated on what was going down in front of him.

"Maggie?" I heard Glenn stutter, loading his gun.

"Okay." She sobbed and clutched onto me, hugging me tight and burying her face into my shoulder. Glenn then quickly ran in front and joined the shooting.

I didn't know any of these people coming out of the barn and I couldn't begin to imagine how hard it was for Hershal, Maggie, Beth, Jimmy and Patricia to watch as each walker collapsed onto the ground. As far as they knew they were family, they were friends. It just made me hope that somewhere, my dad wasn't one of them.

As Rick continued to yell, Shane turned around and looked at him, glancing at me with an evil glare in his eye. With one shot to the head, Shane killed the walker Rick was holding onto and turned his attention back to the other walkers, but unlike everyone else, Rick didn't join the shooting. He just turned to stop Lori and Carl from running to him. "Stay back!" He said to Carl, who began crying into Lori's arms. He then just stood and watched as I comforted both Maggie and Hershal, it dawning on him there was something between us I hadn't told him. 

It didn't take a genius to see that Hershal was heartbroken, yet fuming. I know If I were him, I'd be feeling the same thing. I also knew that when this was all over Rick would definitely be asking some questions about what I've been doing. I think everyone will. I've kept it to myself for Hershal's sake but after this, if they ask, I'm coming clean. I'm not hiding anymore.

I turned my attention back to the others and watched as Glenn, Andrea, Shane, Tdog and Daryl all shot the walkers that were still coming out of the barn. There were a lot. More than I was expecting. The amount leading me to believe that Hershal must've put all of his friends and family in there, alongside any other walker that passed by. All in hopes that there was a cure to what ever the hell this all was.

Eventually, as the last couple were taken out and silence ensued, I could hear Beth crying amongst the sobs from Hershal, Maggie, Patricia and Jimmy. Then I noticed both Daryl and Rick looking in my direction as I comforted both Maggie and Hershal. I just looked back at them all and we all knew what Shane had done was wrong. That now, he had to deal with the consequences. There was no going back.

There were masses of bodies scattered across the floor with Shane looking pretty pleased with himself. He was still acting as though he was right, that this was our only solution, but he was wrong. Things didn't need to turn out like this.

To my surprise, out of the corner of my eye I saw something and turned to see Dale walking down the path. By the look on his face he couldn't believe what was laying in front of him, and I had to admit, it was like a sense of relief to see him alive because when Shane bought back the bag of guns, I had a bad feeling he'd killed him.

Dale then stopped as he got closer, looking at Patricia, Beth, Hershal, Maggie and Jimmy all with tears in their eyes. The bodies were their friends. Their family. Maybe even some of my family. Those who I hadn't gotten to meet. As far as they were concerned, all they had were each other against a world of those things. The barn a part of keeping their loved ones with them. I had to find a way to make sure they can come back from this. 

Staying on the farm was a start, because there's no way I can go with Rick and Daryl when Shane's around. He was dangerous and I wanted no part of it. He'd already killed someone, come onto me, threatened me, threated the group, pulled a gun on me. I didn't know what else he was capable of doing, and I just can't risk seeing someone else die by his hands or what he'd do to me if I stayed.

It was another minute or so before people started moving away, leaving Hershal, Maggie, Patricia, Beth, Jimmy and I still standing there when, all of a sudden, the sound of moaning and growling filled the air again.

I turned my head back to the barn and my eyes fixed on the gap between the doors. Everyone else doing the same. All of us watching, waiting for another member of Hershal's family to make their appearance.